Homeless Hotels in New York: Who Benefits from the Industry’s Side Business?

Author

Suman Bhattacharyya, Cuny Graduate School of JournalismFollow

Graduation Date

Fall 12-16-2016

Grading Professor

Mary Pilon

Subject Concentration

Business & Economics

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Abstract

One in ten of New York City’s 60,000 homeless population lives in a commercial hotel. Commercial hotels are part of a parallel shelter system run by non-profits acting on behalf of the city’s homeless services department. The move to house homeless New Yorkers is a direct outgrowth of the city’s homeless crisis, the severity of which many say the city hasn’t seen the likes of in decades. Based on a review of publicly-available 990 filings, recent comptroller audits and interviews with key stakeholders, this study examines how the city runs the parallel commercial shelter system and which entities stand to benefit from this practice.

Recommended Citation

Bhattacharyya, Suman, "Homeless Hotels in New York: Who Benefits from the Industry’s Side Business?" (2016). CUNY Academic Works.
https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gj_etds/145